


Clueing for looks, a series of short essays

by Unseen_Academical



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Analysis, Character Analysis, Essays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:47:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24233050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unseen_Academical/pseuds/Unseen_Academical
Summary: Drabbles and reflexions on some details of the Sherlock show into the light of the general Sherlockian universe.
Kudos: 9





	Clueing for looks, a series of short essays

**About Mycroft Holmes, or ‘How to turn plump pudding political.’**

_“Mycroft Holmes was a much larger and stouter man than Sherlock. His body was absolutely corpulent, but his face, though massive, had preserved something of the sharpness of expression which was so remarkable in that of his brother.”_

-The Greek interpreter (1893)-

**-98%-**

So, wherever we like it or not, there is a special something about the Christmas Special episode -The Abominable Bride-. Not only is it a leap and dive into the original time frame of the Conan Doyle novels, back in 1895, but also a plunge into the rather wrapped mind of our favourite detective. Sherlock Holmes’ Mind Palace boosted on an explosive cocktail in a grandiose performance to clear up the big hanging question: how could Moriarty have survived the St Bart’s rooftop showdown?

This peculiar and oh-so-exciting puzzle is not the focus of my interest today. No, my attention is riveted on a detail drawing much less polemic or interest. It stands that, out of all and every alternative portrayal Sherlock’s Mind Palace offers us in this time shifted episode of our beloved characters, one of them stands out as particularly gruesome, grotesque and outright disturbing. How come our smart and dignified Mycroft comes out of the time wheel in such an unflattering, off-putting portrayal?

**-64%-**

Several direct justifications come to mind. In a rather surprising fashion, Mycroft’s feature does fit the canon description painted by our respected overlord Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (see above). And you and I both know how impish the writers are about referencing the show to the original material. Still, it is comes out a bit off given how little this depiction fits the Mycroft we know, for it seem unlikely his childhood plump feature and the occasional jab about his weight would lead to such an exaggerated depiction in his brother’s Mind Palace.

**-58%-**

Let us set aside for a moment the feud about the scenario choices that have been made, to acknowledge the performance of the writers in term of intrigue crafting. Upon the hypothesis clumsiness is rather the exception than the norm, I will take the liberty to assume there is a little more to dig out of this portly portrayal and ask the question:

What is it in Sherlock perception of his brother that has led to this monstrous inflation of Mycroft frame?

**-40%-**

To Sherlock, Mycroft stands as the older brother. The ‘smart’ one. Seven year his elder and the only one to get him and able to best him, he has grown in his psyche to be a being larger than life. Dwarfing his own faculties by contrast.

_‘I used to think I was an idiot.’_

_‘Both of us thought you were an idiot, Sherlock. We had nothing else to go on, until we met other children.’_

_‘Oh, yes, that was a mistake.’_

_‘Ghastly. What were they thinking of?’_

-The Empty Hearse (2014)-

Sherlock relationship to Mycroft is convoluted: he both loves his elder sibling and resent the constant monitoring and hovering his big brother (pun intended) imposes on him. He is feeling stifled by Mycroft, roofed by his supposedly superior brand of intelligence. In Sherlock’s Mind Palace Mycroft is the limit of his wit, the last resort of his intellect. The boundary against which he keeps crashing.

_‘Have you put on weight?’_

_‘You saw me only yesterday. Does that seem possible?’_

_‘No.’_

_‘Yet here I am, increased.’_

-The Abominable Bride (2016)-

**-32%-**

And yet again, I am finding myself unsatisfied by this explanation. The above point could explain Mycroft’s ‘generous proportions’, but what about his astounding voracity? A voracity not attributed to gluttony but rather to some… frame of mind of Mycroft’s. On which is riding a brotherly bet. Can somebody please give me a capital question mark? Thank you.

_‘You’re gambling with your own life.’_

_‘Why not? It’s so much more exciting than to gamble with others.’_

-The Abominable Bride (2016)-

This is big. Too big to be random. And it raises one simple question: what is likely to kill Mycroft, of which Sherlock is perfectly aware? Something he got, in an albeit weird way, Sherlock’s support for.

**His work.**

****

Mycroft’s life revolves around his work that consumes him as much as he consumes it. We can reasonably assume that with his position as a ‘minor official’ of the British Government, he must be put ever more at risk with every new task he undertakes. Ever expanding but tipping the scale in favour of an early death with each new cake slice he claims. Growing nearer to the point he will be ‘biting more than he can chew’.

**-14%-**

I will wrap up this tiny analysis by hooking it to the wagon of a much larger running thematic of the show: the Holmes siblings’ relation to mortality, and life. Faced with the crushing vice of reality pressing against their intellect, they have all gone for different coping mechanism. Stoicism is Mycroft chosen armour, wilfully branded in a deep drive to serve a higher purpose. To _make things matter_ , in a way, and at any cost. This is in stark contrast to his brother’s set, who has detached things and people from their importance. This does seem to extend to his own life value, easily thwarted in his many attempts at escaping the stillness of reality. Although… it is interesting to point out how Mycroft is the one in Sherlock vision to gamble with his own life.

Eurus now… Eurus probably does not have any form of coping strategy. Reality crashes on her, and she crashes on reality in one sharp display of stubborn sanity.

And then there is Mrs Holmes, their mother. I can hear her skipping the Holmes crap in one strong statement and spinning spoon: ‘Stop being Drama Queens the lot of you, and help your father dress the table.’ God bless a good rationalist.

**-7%-**

That’s all folks! I hope you enjoyed this entry, and if you are part of the tenacious and precious 7% that made it to the ~~solution~~ last paragraph, be nice and drop a line down there to give me your insight. And don’t be shy, if you agree with me, I’ll be nice 😉

Sincerely yours,

**Unseen Academical.**

**Author's Note:**

> Credits for all the pictures are to the Sherlock (BBC) show.


End file.
